Cleaning Up the Mess

By:  Dale Weckbacher

John 16:33

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

(ESV)

If there were one word to describe the condition of our world today it would be a mess.  Almost on a daily or weekly basis we receive news alerts on our smart phones and tablets about another police shooting, terrorist attack, or killing of a police officer.  Instead of offering compassion to the victims of these violent attacks, political leaders attack the guns used and try to convince citizens fearing they will be the next victim that gun control or the complete elimination of guns will somehow prevent these acts of violence.  The fact that some of these acts of violence are now being perpetrated using knives, axes, and even semi-trucks tells us that these violent people will use any means at their disposal to murder anyone they feel gets in the way of their agenda. 

Then we have the mess of the confusion over gender.  In Matthew 19:4 Jesus taught that God created people as males and females.  In Matthew19:5 Jesus goes on to teach that because of this differentiation between genders, a man shall leave his father and mother and join to his wife.  In Jesus time, a wife was someone female in gender so there is no confusion on Jesus part that marriage was to be between a male and female.  It is therefore a deception and perversion of the truth of God’s Word to believe otherwise.

Some have even carried this gender confusion to an extreme allowing people to medically change their genders while still having the genitals of their birth, and seek legal permission to use public restrooms of people having the opposite physical gender.  This extreme gender confusion has the potential of creating a dangerous mess where people will be subjected to sexual assault by people posing as someone of the same gender mentally and emotionally as a means of access to people of the opposite gender they can sexually assault. 

The secular world that does not depend on faith in God has no recourse but to solicit help from government and the law in cleaning up these messes.  This is why many have heated passions this electoral cycle as they seek some magical leader with the ability to clean up this mess.  The bad news is, however, this magical leader does not exist and no matter who wins the election in the United States this November, the mess will still be there and may even get worse. 

This mess, however, is no surprise to God since he knows all events past present and future and is why he promised us that in this world there would be trouble but also reminds us that he overcame the world (John16:33).  I interpret this to mean that no matter what occurs in our world, no matter who is in power, Jesus is King and sits on the throne.  Jesus can clean up the messes in our personal lives by us allowing him to forgive us of our sins and follow the teachings contained in the Bible.  If you have not done so, please take a moment to allow Jesus to clean up your messy life by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

We all have messes in our lives and you have now joined many others in allowing Jesus, the only one qualified to clean up messy lives, access to clean up your life.  However, as for the messes in the world, we have to trust God to get us through them until Jesus returns to establish His kingdom here on earth, thus cleaning up the worlds mess.  Mark 13 foretells of a time of great global tribulation that will be cut short by the return of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. 

While many through the ages have claimed to receive some special revelation of when the return of Jesus would occur, scripture warns us that no man, not even Jesus Himself, knows the day of His return (Mark 13:32).  Instead, God’s people who have experienced the cleaning up or their personal lives through Jesus death on the cross are to be on guard and keep awake knowing that at any time Jesus may return.  Jesus final words to his followers before His ascension also instructed them to share the Gospel which cleans up the messes in people’s personal lives for God does not want anyone to perish but for all to experience the cleansing from sin by the blood of Christ and live for eternity with God (Mark 16:15, 2 Peter 3:9). 

We can therefore survive the mess of this world by allowing Jesus to clean up the mess of sin in our personal lives and rest assured that even though Jesus return is seemingly delayed, his promise of returning to clean up the mess of this world is true.  Let us therefore not be discouraged by what we see occurring in this world but be busy with the work of spreading the Gospel until the Lord returns to clean up our worlds mess.